Southern Steam - The Folkestone Harbour Branch [2 of 4]

The Folkestone Harbour Branch opened in 1849 as a short but steeply graded branch from Folkestone Junction Station, with a viaduct (incorporating a swing bridge) across the harbour itself to the terminus. The severe gradient required the use of multiple banking locomotives, which for many decades were ex-South Eastern Railway Stirling-designed R1 class 0-6-0T tank engines specially retained for the purpose. We begin with 1930's footage of an R1 drifting down to the station with a short train of baggage vans, closely followed by another of the class on the boat train itself. Next we see an ex-South Eastern and Chatham Railway P Class 0-6-0T shunting in the yard, and catch a glimpse of one of Maunsell's impressive Z Class 0-8-0T heavy Shunters, one of which had been tried on the harbour banking duty in the 30's and thoroughly disgraced itself. The next scene shows a train (probably the Golden Arrow) being banked up the ruling 1-in-30 gradient by a team of four R1's, two at each end, as much a spectacle then as it is now. Onto colour footage circa 1955, we see yet another R1 descending into the station, followed by a trio slogging a train up the incline. The next shot is more Stirling Superpower, with three R1's on the front and one on the rear of another heavy train further up the incline. Sadly, in 1959 the elderly R1's were displaced by a number of more modern ex-GWR 57XX class pannier tanks transferred from the Western Region, seen in the final sequence. These set about laying waste to the gardens of those living nearby, their tendancy to let loose with sparks causing a number of fires in the few years before the line was electrified as part of the Kent Coast Phase II electriciation, multiple unit operation removing the need for banking altogether.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• folkestone
• harbour
• branch
• steam
• southern
• region
• rail
• railways
• railway
• stirling
• R1
• kent
• south
• east
• southeast

[jet936]

Thank You for another excellent piece of work.....ths proves that the sun really did shine more often in the 1950s !

[MrSensualidade]

After so many years, I can live nice moments seeing Folkestone again. I was a student in Concorde International School and lived on Fairway Avenue,10, with Mr and Mrs Franklin. I lost contact with them...I am sorry. I miss the town and everybody there. This film made my soul happy. Thanks. Ernesto-Brazil

[JimTLonW6]

Very enjoyable; I used to go to Folkestone on holiday when I was little and I thought it was the best place in the World! I loved to see the harbour and the trains; one thing I haven't found yet is any information on the boats that worked from Folkestone and i've forgotten the names of most of them; I can remember the 'Cote d'azur' and 'Thanet' but I'm sure there were more.

[goldie103103]

57XX painners were quite strong locos for the size of engine. They could pull hevey trains with ease.

[wahiba]

I remember it well. We walked down the road beside the railway from the station to beach. Did it loads of times as a kid in the 1950s.

[Mumbles274]

Superb

[21C123]

Excellent stuff, thanks for sharing.

[stuartthegrant]

Outstanding Thanks again.

[edoc2]

excellent piece of film, now I can show my grandson what the folkstone harbour branch was really like Thanks

[hollpoll]

Fantastic stuff, I have seen a little of this footage on a Online Video but the rest was completely new to me, thanks for uploading Folkestone was fabulous place for a holiday in the late fifties early sixties very fondly remembered

cheers Stewart